Hamlet, Part 4: Comparing and Contrasting Interpretations — Quiz
Question 4 • British Literature and Composition
Read the excerpt from Act III of Hamlet . To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. Based on this section of the soliloquy, which best describes Hamlet’s view of death?
Answer
A
He is uncertain about what will happen in the afterlife.
B
He believes that his soul is lost if he kills himself.
C
He believes that death is like taking a very long nap.
D
He is confident that things will be better after death.
Explanation
Hamlet compares death to sleep, but worries about what dreams might come during that sleep. The phrase “Must give us pause” shows that uncertainty about the afterlife makes him hesitate. So the best choice is that he is uncertain about what will happen after death; he is not simply confident that death will be peaceful.
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